Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Evolution Guide: How To Evolve Pokémon

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, a key component of the game is watching your Pokémon evolve. Many evolutions can happen naturally over time with that specific Pokémon, but numerous require you to trade with others or to get special items like evolution stones.

In this guide, we explain how to evolve every Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where to get evolution stones or items, and which Pokémon simply don't evolve.

Read More: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: How To Get the Pokétch

Pokémon That Don’t Evolve

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Some Pokémon will be found in their final and only form, without any need to evolve. They are as follows:

• Pachirisu
• Heracross
• Chatot
• Spiritomb
• Unown
• Carnivine
• Uxie
• Mesprit
• Azelf
• Dialga
• Palkia
• Manaphy
• Absol
• Pinsir
• Mew
• Jirachi

Natural Evolutions

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Natural evolutions, in this guide, consist of evolutions that come about due to levelling, friendship levels, or other unique scenarios that don't involve trading or special items. They are as follows:

• Turtwig → Grotle → Torterra
• Chimchar → Monferno → Empoleon
• Piplup → Prinplup → Empoleon
• Shinx → Luxio → Luxray
• Zubat → Golbat → Crobat (high friendship required for final form)
• Bidoof → Bibarel
• Kricketot → Kricketune
• Magikarp → Gyarados
• Cranidos → Rampardos
• Shieldon → Bastiodon
• Psyduck → Golduck
• Burmy → Mothim (must be male)
• Burmy → Wormadam (must be female)
• Combee → Vespiquen (must be female)
• Wurmple → Silcoon → Beautifly (personality-based)
• Wurmple → Cascoon → Dustox (personality-based)
• Buizel → Floatzel
• Cherubi → Cherrim
• Shellos → Gastrodon
• Aipom → Ambipom (after learning Double Hit)
• Drifloon → Drifblim
• Buneary → Lopunny (high friendship required)
• Glameow → Purugly
• Goldeen → Seaking
• Barboach → Whiscash
• Chingling → Chimecho (high friendship required, and at nighttime)
• Stunky → Skuntank
• Meditite → Medicham
• Bronzor → Bronzong
• Ponyta → Rapidash
• Bonsly → Sudowoodo (after learning Mimic)
• Mime Jr → Mr Mime (after learning Mimic)
• Hoothoot → Noctowl
• Gible → Gabite → Garchomp
• Munchlax → Snorlax (high friendship required)
• Riolu → Lucario (high friendship required, and at daytime)
• Wooper → Quagsire
• Wingull → Pelipper
• Hippopotas → Hippowdon
• Azurill → Marill → Azumarill (high friendship required)
• Skorupi → Drapion
• Croagunk → Toxicroak
• Remoraid → Octillery
• Finneon → Lumineon
• Tentacool → Tentacruel
• Mantyke → Mantine (with Remoraid in your party)
• Snover → Abomasnow
• Sneasel → Weavile (while holding Razor Claw at nighttime)
• Gligar → Gliscor (while holding Razor Fang at nighttime)
• Ralts → Kirlia → Gardevoir
• Lickitung → Lickilicky (after learning Rollout)
• Swablu → Altaria
• Hondour → Houndoom
• Swinub → Piloswine → Mamoswine (after learning Ancient Power)
• Snorunt → Glalie
• Slowpoke → Slowbro

If one of your Pokémon needs to learn a move in order to evolve, but they have passed the required level, you'll need to visit the Move Relearner. Alternatively, if you just need to level your Pokémon up, check out our tips on levelling up quickly.

Trade Evolutions

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Some Pokémon must be traded, either alone or with special items, in order to evolve. They are as follows:

• Geodude → Graveler (through levelling) → Golem
• Ghastly → Haunter (through levelling)→ Gengar
• Abra → Kadabra (through levelling) → Alakazam
• Machop → Machoke (through levelling)→ Machamp
• Clamperl → Huntail (trade while holding Deep Sea Tooth)
• Clamperl → Gorebyss (trade while holding Deep Sea Scale)
• Dusclops → Dusknoir (trade while holding Reaper Cloth)
• Elekid → Electabuzz (through levelling) → Electivire (trade while holding Electrizer)
• Magby → Magmar (through levelling) → Magmortar (trade while holding Magmarizer)
• Onix → Steelix (trade while holding Metal Coat)
• Poliwhag → Poliwhirl (through levelling) → Poliwrath (trade while holding King's Rock)
• Porygon → Porygon2 (trade while holding Upgrade) → PorygonZ (trade while holding Dubious Disc)
• Rhyhorn → Rhydon (through levelling) → Rhyperior (trade while holding Protector)
• Scyther → Scizor (trade while holding Metal Coat)
• Horsea → Seadra (through levelling) → Kingdra (trade while holding Dragon Scale)
• Slowpoke → Slowking (trade while holding King's Rock)

Stone Evolutions

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A dozen Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl can only be evolved using specific evolution stones. These can be encountered by chance in the mines, the Grand Underground, or might be gifted to you if you're lucky enough. The Stones are as follows, and here's what Pokémon they can be used to evolve:

Leaf Stone

The Leaf Stone evolves the following:

• Eevee → Leafeon

The Leaf Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Floaramo Meadow, accessed via Fuego Ironworks
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Fire Stone

The Fire Stone evolves the following:

• Eevee → Flareon

The Fire Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Fuego Ironworks
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Sun Stone

The Sun Stone evolves the following:

• No Pokémon from the Sinnoh Pokédex can be evolved using the Sun Stone, but two National Pokédex Pokémon are (Gloom and Sunkern).

The Sun Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Sphere trading in the Grand Underground
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Water Stone

The Water Stone evolves the following:

• Eevee → Vaporeon

The Water Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Route 213
• Route 230
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Thunder Stone

The Thunder Stone evolves the following:

• Eevee → Jolteon
• Pikachu → Raichu
• Magneton → Magnezone

The Thunder Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Route 229, after beating Elite Four
• Sunyshore City, behind the lighthouse
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Moon Stone

The Moon Stone evolves the following:

• Clefairy → Clefable

The Moon Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Clefairy's encountered in the wild have a chance of already holding the Stone
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Oval Stone

The Oval Stone evolves the following:

• Happiny → Chansey

The Oval Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Lost Tower
• Happiny's encountered in the wild have a chance of already holding the Stone

Shiny Stone

The Shiny Stone evolves the following:

• Togetic → Togekiss
• Roselia → Roserade

The Shiny Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Route 228, after defeating the Elite Four
• Iron Islands, accessed from Canalave City by using a boat
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Dusk Stone

The Dusk Stone evolves the following:

• Murkrow → Honchkrow
• Misdreavus → Mismagius

The Dusk Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Victory Road, after beating the Elite Four
• Galactic Warehouse in Veilstone City
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Dawn Stone

The Dawn Stone evolves the following:

• Kirlia → Gallade (must be male)
• Snorunt → Froslass (must be female)

The Dawn Stone can be found in the following locations:

• Route 225, after beating the Elite Four
• Mount Coronet, after learning Surf and surfing to the south of the area
• Randomly in the Grand Underground

Eevee Evolutions

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Eevee has multiple evolutions that can be acquired in different ways. Here's how to unlock each of them:

• Eevee → Vaporeon (using Water Stone)
• Eevee → Jolteon (using Thunder Stone)
• Eevee → Flareon (using Fire Stone)
• Eevee → Espeon (happiness value must be 220, during daytime)
• Eevee → Umbreon (happinss value must be 220, during nighttime)
• Eevee → Leafeon (level up near a Mossy Rock in Eterna Forest)
• Eevee → Glaceon (level up near an Icy Rock in Snowpoint City)

That's all there is to know about evolving Pokémon across the Sinnoh Region in Brilliant Diamond and Pearl. For some further guidance, check out our guide on all eight gym leaders and their weaknesses, as well as our type chart for a reminder on which Pokémon are best to take into each battle with you!

For a look at the games arriving in 2022, be sure to visit our video game release schedule 2022 guide. You'll find info on the best PS5, Xbox and Switch games coming in 2022, like Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring.